Karman Line Prize
by smithren
Summary: Walter is away on important business when Paige is hurt during a mission.
1. Chapter 1

**Belated Holiday Greetings and Well Wishes for a Wonderful New Year. This is a new story about how Walter will respond when Paige is hurt on a mission and he cannot be there. There is really only one thing that could keep Walter away (traveling to Berkeley to present his rocket to the Karman Line Prize Committee). I started this story prior to the mid-season finale, so it does not follow the show exactly but I hope it is still enjoyable. This will not be as long or as complicated as Graduation Day.**

Karman Line Prize

 ** _Chapter One – Unscheduled Stop_**

Walter swerved into the gas station. The first safe parking place he saw on an unusually desolate stretch of California highway outside of Bakersfield and the first one since he received a text from Cabe about 20 minutes ago. **URGENT**! **Call as soon as possible, outside of the earshot of Ralph. There has been an incident on the mission.**

Cabe's request for the call to be away from Ralph meant only one thing, and the possibilities of what had happened to Paige, his new girlfr—his company liaison and a person with whom he was beginning a romantic relationship, consumed his thoughts. Walter O'Brien fumbled with his phone, pacing in front of the truck and muttering to himself, quietly chastising himself for leaving his team, especially Paige, during such a delicate mission. The 197 genius finally dialed Cabe and the agent answered on the first ring.

"Son, there is no easy way to say this, so I am just going to get to it. Paige has been shot. She…."

Before Cabe could finish the update on Paige's condition, Walter interrupted, "Okay, I am heading back now. I will be there in about two hours." He glanced at the sleeping brown-haired boy in the passenger seat and realized he would have to restrain his speed. "Make that three."

Cabe could hear the door slam and the engine turn over as the car started. He tried to get Walter's attention, but to no avail. Cabe gave the phone to Toby, hoping the behaviorist would have better luck convincing the genius not to return to LA.

"Walt, listen to me. You need to stay on the road so that you can make it to Berkeley on time. Paige wouldn't want you to miss this opportunity. Listen to me, find a hotel and hunker down for tonight. She is still in surgery and we won't know anything for a while. If you come back you will just spend hours pacing around the waiting room. From what I saw at the scene, it looked like a through and through, and surgeons should be able to stop the bleeding once they find the source. Walter, are you listening?"

Walter half-listened to Toby, but was in a bit of a daze. Paige was hurt in Los Angeles, and he wasn't there. Walter knew that Toby was right; driving back to LA in his emotional state was dangerous. Reluctantly, Walter resigned to the idea of staying in Bakersfield and listened as Cabe gave instructions about the hotel reservations already made for Walter. Cabe also called in a favor with the local PD to make sure that Walter got to the hotel safely. While Walter waited for the police, he walked a few feet away from the car and screamed. He couldn't believe he left Paige alone on this mission and now she was hurt. They were just beginning to explore a life together and it would be over before it really started. He had just agreed to stay on his planned route to Berkeley, but he was conflicted. Paige had suffered enough relationship abandonment for one person, first her parents and then Drew. How could he add to that by not being there for her when she needed him? Walter jogged back to the truck, determined to return home. He needed to be there for Paige.

The sirens in the distance jolted Walter, then Cabe called to confirm that the escort was there to take him to the hotel. Cabe further instructed that one of the officers was to drive the truck since Walter was too emotional. He wanted to protest and insist on returning to LA, but Cabe and the officers at the scene never gave him the chance.

~~ SCORPION ~~

Somehow, Ralph managed to wait until they were settled in the hotel to question the unscheduled stop. "Walter, why did we stop at a hotel? We weren't supposed to stop until we got to Fresno, but this is Bakersfield. Also, why did the police bring us here?"

Walter looked the boy in the eyes and sighed. Walter had learned from Paige and Toby that physical contact could help when delivering bad news, so he held Ralph's hand and bluntly told him, "Ralph, there been an incident back in LA on the mission. Your mom was shot. We stopped here tonight so that we can wait for more information. Based on what we find out, we may head back to LA or we will continue to Berkeley." Given that the young genius experienced the same pain from abandonment as Paige, Walter felt the need to explain himself. "Ralph, I was prepared to go back right away as soon as I heard, but Toby and Cabe thought it was more prudent to wait until there is more information in the morning. They think that your mom is going to be okay, and we will be able to continue to Berkeley. If you want though, we can go back to LA right now. Your mom is more important to me than anything, I hope you know that."

Ralph sat up a little in the bed, and looked his mentor in the eye, understanding why Walter would feel the need to reassure him. He too had learned from his mom and Toby the importance of looking people in the eye when he wanted to be understood. "I know Walter, mom and I mean more to you than anything, even the Karman Line Prize, which we have been working toward for a long time. If she were in serious trouble, or if there was any way that you could help, I know you would have gone back. It's okay we can wait to hear from Cabe and Toby before deciding what to do."

After making Ralph as comfortable as a young genius could be in a strange place with his mother hurt, Walter went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. He would also have a tough time sleeping in a strange place, with Paige, his—someone who was important to him—in trouble back in Los Angeles. Still, Walter knew that if he were to drive tomorrow, he would need sleep. After showering and changing, Walter stretched out in the bed. He had given his tablet to Ralph, and didn't really want to watch TV, so he just laid there thinking about the events of the last few weeks. He found some solace in replaying the last conversation with Paige in his mind. She appreciated the importance of his pursuit of the Karman Line Prize and was absolutely adamant that he take this trip.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES**

 **1.** **I do not own Scorpion or its characters, CBS owns Scorpion and its characters.**

 **2.** **Special thanks to my betareader: Lookingforthestars (If you haven't already check out her series Lightning and her story Will You)**

 **3.** **I hate to start one story while I am in the middle of another one, but this idea just wouldn't leave my mind until I wrote it down. This story will be short (right now the plan is five chapters at most)**

 **4.** **Thank You: I just wanted to thank the Scorpion fandom for providing such a great outlet, especially during such a stressful time in my life. Scorpion is the first show that I have liked enough to explore reading or writing fanfiction and I am really enjoying it.**

 **5.** **Please enjoy, favorite, and review!**


	2. Chapter Two - Sacrifices

**Karman Line Prize**

 **Chapter Two – Sacrifices**

 **This chapter will be mostly flashbacks to Walter / Paige before the case and how Paige got shot during the case. This foundational information is important to the story, and the next chapter will advance the plot (I promise).**

 ** _He found some solace in replaying the last conversation with Paige in his mind. Paige appreciated the importance of his pursuit of the Karma Line Prize and was absolutely adamant that he take this trip._**

 _"_ _I can p-postpone the trip to Berkeley until this mission is over!" Walter protested_

 _"_ _You can't, the woman from the committee called again today. The other finalists for the Karman Line Prize have already had their rockets inspected, and they need to inspect yours by this weekend to make a final decision."_

 _"_ _Paige, I'm not leaving the team, or y-you, during this mission, what if something goes wrong?"_

 _"_ _Walter, there are three agents in the restaurant during my shift. One as a busboy, and two as customers. Cabe and the rest of the team are just a few blocks away in the van. The team has already designed the new surveillance device, all that's left is for me to plant it. I should only have to work one or two more shifts to get an opportunity to plant the device in the office. This whole mission will be wrapped up before you get to Fresno," Paige smiled._

 _Walter sighed and dropped his head. He wasn't convinced. None of Scorpion's missions ever went as planned. This one was no different. Over the last few weeks, Scorpion had been operating as part of a special task force trying to infiltrate a restaurant believed to be laundering money and funneling it to terrorist groups. Homeland and the FBI had sent in undercover agents to plant surveillance equipment in the restaurant, but the restaurant was wired with anti-surveillance software. The agents couldn't figure out a way around the software and Scorpion was called in. Scorpion's plan was simple: someone would go in with a device to activate the software, the team would analyze it and design a device to disable it, as well as a device to pick up new evidence. During the first stage, Scorpion learned that the anti-surveillance software used rolling code that re-wrote itself every twelve hours. It took the team a week to figure out the pattern and another week to design a device to disable the software, and they were finally at the last stage. However, Paige had already been undercover for weeks and planted two devices into the office, increasing the likelihood that she would be made as an undercover agent._

 _Walter finally looked up, feeling a soft hand on his face and hearing a voice calling his name. "Walter. I'm not going to lie, this mission is dangerous, and I would feel better if you were nearby. I mean you aren't law enforcement and you don't carry a gun, but if something went wrong, you would know what to do…"_

 _"_ _Exactly, which is why I should…" Paige cut Walter off, placing a finger over his lips._

 _"_ _Regardless of how much I want you here, you have to go to Berkeley." Paige was so close now, and softly kissed his cheek. "Walter, I am so grateful that you are always willing to sacrifice for me, and for Ralph, but I can't let you this time. This is way too big of a sacrifice. This is your dream."_

 _"_ _Paige, I would sacrifice anything to make sure that you are safe."_

 _Paige smiled, and moved her lips from Walter's cheek to his mouth. Walter froze. They were just starting to explore a changing relationship dynamic; he still wasn't used to this level of contact, but he was quickly adjusting._

 _Paige finally spoke, her hands still behind his neck, playing with his curly hair. "Walter, I have to go get ready to work the night shift at the restaurant. Promise me that you will go to Berkeley. You have worked really hard on the rocket and Ralph has been looking forward to this trip. Walter, I need you to go. You aren't the only one that is willing to sacrifice for people that you lo—" Paige took a breath before continuing, "for people that are important to you. The Karman Line Prize is your dream and I would sacrifice anything to help you achieve your dreams."_

 _Walter still didn't want to go, but Paige was standing in front of him, her piercing brown eyes staring at him and asking him to take the trip. Walter O'Brien was the fourth smartest person in the world, and great at almost anything he set his mind to, but no matter how much he wanted to now, saying "no" to Paige Dineen wasn't something the 197 genius had mastered._

 _Walter sighed. "Okay, I'll go, but only if you promise to…."_

 _Paige kissed his forehead, "Yes Walter, I will stay at the garage. Cabe is also going to stay and there is a protection detail assigned to me. Happy upgraded all of the locks, so this place is practically Fort Knox." Paige gave Walter one final kiss, "You'll have to leave before my shift is over, so please be safe on the road and remember that you are responsible for keeping the two people most important to me safe, and I expect the both of you back here in one piece."_

Walter was brought back to reality by the buzzing of his phone. It was a text from Toby. **Paige is still in surgery. Two shots. One was a through and through to the abdomen. The other was lodged in the lung. The bullet collapsed the lung, and they will need to insert a chest tube to re-inflate it. Paige will be in the hospital for a few days and then there will be a couple of weeks of recovery at home. The prognosis is good, and don't worry, one of us will stay in the hospital with Paige.**

There was a follow-up text from Sylvester. **Based on Paige's condition, there is an 85% chance of full recovery.**

These facts eased Walter some, but he still did not sleep. Paige was in the hospital, she was still very hurt, and very much in need of comfort and support. Walter was thankful that a member of the team would be with her at all times, but none of them would hold her hand, or kiss her forehead, or reassure her that she would be okay. Walter chuckled because before meeting Paige—and Ralph—he wouldn't have felt the need to comfort another individual in this way. Now, the fact that he wasn't there for Paige was all he could think about.

For Walter, these things he felt compelled to do with and for Paige were like nothing he had ever experienced. Over the last few months, his relationship with her had definitely changed. Megan's last words to Walter were, "Don't be afraid to love", and Walter was taking these words to heart. He was opening himself up to a romantic relationship with Paige. Though they hadn't really labelled their relationship, Walter wouldn't want to be experiencing these things with anyone else, and he hoped that Paige felt the same.

Walter appreciated that Paige was willing to be patient with him, and didn't really pressure him to use labels like boyfriend, girlfriend, couple. A relationship label wasn't necessary because they didn't interact with anyone who wasn't on the team, and the team knew what they were to each other. Still, Paige deserved a man who was courageous enough to commit to her, without hiding behind excuses like low EQ and needing more time. Walter decided that he was going to make his intentions clear to Paige the next time he saw her. For now, he needed sleep because Paige needed him, not only at the hospital, but to take care of her most important thing and if anything happened to Ralph because Walter was tired and driving recklessly, she would never forgive him. Regardless of what he decided tomorrow, the most efficient thing for right now was rest.

 **~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~**

Loud, repetitive beeping was the only sound in the sterile, white-walled hospital room. Toby sat on bedside watch, the sound of the machine and the rise and fall of Paige's chest the only evidence that she was breathing. Paige was still recovering from anesthesia and unable to talk. Toby checked his phone; there was no return text from Walter, so he hoped his friend was able to stay calm enough to sleep.

Toby sighed. He was thankful that it seemed Paige was going to be okay. He felt a little guilty about lying to Walter about the seriousness of Paige's condition, but he knew if he told the truth the genius would have come back to LA and missed his chance for the Karman Line Prize. The treatment for a collapsed lung was relatively simple and common, but because of the time it took to find the wound, Paige was without oxygen for a long time. She was on a ventilator for a while, but eventually started to breathe on her own. Toby also knew that a few inches in either direction, and Paige would have been gone. Toby wasn't particularly religious, but he felt compelled to thank whoever was up there that Paige, his colleague and friend, was still alive.

Toby was stretching his legs by the window, thinking about the events of a few hours ago. _From Paige's experience, she knew that one of the few opportunities for a waitress to go into the office was to get change for the cash register. This was the ruse that she used to plant the other devices. It was risky to try to the same ploy a third time, but there was really no other reason for a waitress to be in the office. Paige signaled the team that she was going to attempt to plant the device, so they were all on alert. On the other attempts, the only one in the office was the restaurant manager, who simply chalked up Paige always coming to get money to the fact that she worked the night shift and there wasn't always time to refill the register during the day. On this attempt though, the owner, the real target of this investigation, was in the office, going over figures with some other men. Toby registered the surprise in her voice and got Cabe's attention, "Oh, I w-was expecting Patty. I just needed change for the register. We are all out."_

 _The owner directed one of the men to get the change. "I don't think we have had the pleasure. I'm Michael, I'm the owner of this restaurant. You must be Paige, the new waitress that Patty hired about three weeks ago…"_

 _"_ _I'm not liking this line of questioning, or the use of a specific timeline, this guy may be on to Paige," Toby barked._

 _Cabe wasted no time telling the other agents to get in position to breach on his command._

 _Toby continued listening through the comm, and could hear deliberate footsteps moving closer to Paige. "Over the past three weeks, we've had a series of technical difficulties. I don't suppose you know anything about that?"_

 _"_ _No, uhh, I wasn't aware of anything wrong. No one has mentioned any problems with the wi-fi, if that's what you mean." Paige was still hoping to plant the device; it was small and could fit almost anywhere. The other two had been placed behind a picture frame on the desk._

 _The owner laughed, returning to his previous conversation. "The wi-fi. She thinks I'm talking about the wi-fi."_

 _Toby commented that the guy seemed pacified with that answer, buying Paige some time, but he was still suspicious. "Paige, listen, forget about planting the device and get out of there. It's too dangerous right now. We can regroup and come up with a new approach."_

 _She ignored Toby. She knew he was right, but if the target learned about the investigation, he would move his operation before Homeland and the FBI could get the evidence they needed, meaning all these weeks undercover would have meant nothing._

 _Paige had an idea. She took off her name tag, sticking the device on the back, and placed it on the floor beside the couch—out of plain sight, but not exactly covert. She took the money for the register and walked out quickly before he could realize the tag was missing. She would have to complete her shift if she didn't want to rouse suspicion._

 _Toby chuckled. "She may not be a genius, but she's resourceful." He suggested that Cabe keep the breach teams on alert in case something happened, but all involved breathed a sigh of relief._

 _Things were routine for the next few hours. Walter texted at about 6 A.M. to say he was leaving, and to let Paige know to text when her shift was over. Work was winding down and she was in the restaurant alone, cleaning. The team was starting to pack up from the stakeout when Toby heard something on the comm: footsteps moving toward Paige. He motioned for everyone to be quiet._

 _"_ _Hey Paige, I think you left your name tag in my office," the owner stated calmly. They all heard the distinctive click of a gun being cocked._

 _Cabe yelled, "Breach, breach!"_

 _The breach team was in the restaurant in seconds, but it was still too late. Paige was laying on the floor with two gunshot wounds. The owner was shot by the breach team, but the rest of the crew ran out the back. They were arrested a few blocks away._

 _Scorpion rushed into the restaurant. Toby and Cabe put pressure on the wounds and helped to keep Paige calm until the ambulance arrived. Toby went with Paige in the ambulance, with Cabe and the rest of the team following close behind. Once they were all gathered at the hospital, Toby filled everyone in on what little he knew so far. They debated whether they should tell Walter, but keeping him in the dark really wasn't a realistic option. So Cabe and Toby, still covered in Paige's blood, went outside to talk to Walter._

Toby sighed before returning to Paige's bedside. She was still sleeping. Toby was about to leave to get a cup of coffee when he heard soft murmurs. He turned to see Paige start to stir, and open her eyes.

The behaviorist touched her shoulder. "Paige, you're okay, you're in the hospital. You were shot. Don't try to talk, you have a lung injury and talking will hurt."

Paige flinched when he touched her shoulder, which didn't go unnoticed by the behaviorist, then motioned to the notepad on the nightstand, which Toby promptly brought to her. Paige wrote on the pad simply, "Walter? Ralph?"

 **~ ~ END OF CHAPTER 2 ~ ~**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1.** **SCORPION MONDAY – New Episode Tonight January 4** **th** **(USA), Who's excited?**

 **2.** **I do not own Scorpion or its characters, CBS owns Scorpion and its characters**

 **3.** **Special Thanks to my betareader: lookingforthestars (Thank You for turning this around in record time)**

 **4.** **This is my first time incorporating any significant case details into a story. I tried my best to be realistic, but a little suspended belief may be necessary.**

 **5.** **Ending Cliffhanger: Why do you think Paige is asking about Walter and Ralph? Does she have amnesia? Did she expect them to come back? Is she mad that Walter isn't there? Stay tuned for Chapter 3!**


	3. Chapter Three - Carmen

**Karmen Line Prize**

 **Chapter Three – Carmen**

 **This chapter may be a little OOC and unrealistic. Unfortunately, medicine is not my area of expertise, so please don't get too mad if the medical details are not accurate. Other than that, I hope that everyone enjoys this latest installment.**

 **~~ KARMEN LINE PRIZE ~**

 **Paige flinched when he touched her shoulder, which didn't go unnoticed by the behaviorist, then motioned to the notepad on the nightstand, which Toby promptly brought to her. Paige wrote on the pad simply, "Walter? Ralph?"**

Toby stood frozen as Paige looked at him expectantly for an answer. Many thoughts about Paige's question ran through his genius mind at rapid speed. Did she have amnesia? She shouldn't have; the oxygen deprivation wasn't long enough to induce amnesia. Did she expect Walter to come back to the hospital when he learned she was hurt? It could be, but in the entire time he had known Paige, she had never been the type to focus attention on herself. Then again, she had never been shot. It could be shock. The trauma of getting shot could cause shock, which could cause some temporary memory loss.

The genius was still pondering the motive behind Paige's inquiry when Cabe walked in. "Hey, Paige is awake. Why didn't you call?"

Toby pointed to the paper then pulled Cabe to the wall away from the bed. "Sorry, I was trying to figure out how to answer Paige's question."

"What's wrong, do you think she has amnesia?"

"I was just running through the possibilities. I don't think she has amnesia, it's more likely some kind of shock that is causing some temporary memory loss but we should still talk to the doctor."

Cabe ran out to get the doctor, and Toby went back to Paige's bedside to talk to her.

"Paige, do you recognize me?"

Paige wrote, "Dr. Tobias M. Curtis."

Toby laughed. Definitely not amnesia. "Paige, I want you to know that Walter and Ralph are safe. However, before I can tell you exactly where they are, I want to talk to the doctor, so that I can determine how to best approach answering your question without causing you any additional trauma. They are not at the hospital right now, but I promise that they are both okay. Do you understand?"

Paige shook her head indicating yes, and then Toby left the room to find Paige's doctor.

~~~ SCORPION ~~~

"I agree with Dr. Curtis," the doctor noted as he stood with Cabe and Toby outside Paige's room. "The oxygen deprivation should not have been long enough to induce amnesia, and there wasn't any evidence of damage to the brain. We can do a CAT scan to confirm, but you said that she recognized you. So it is most likely shock caused by getting shot, and everything that she has been through. If you don't mind me asking, where are these people she is asking about?"

Toby calmly explained, "Ralph is her son, and he is with Walter, her boy…" Toby cleared his throat before continuing, "…her boss and friend. They are on the way to Berkeley to present for the Karman Line Prize."

"Some friend, what kind of friend wouldn't bring a woman's son to see her after she has been shot?"

Toby stepped forward and got in the doctor's face. "Excuse me, are you trying to insinuate that my friend doesn't care about Paige? He cares about her more than he's ever cared about anyone, he cares so much his genius brain can't even comprehend it, he cares so much…."

Cabe pulled Toby away, gesturing for him to stay calm. "How about you just tell us how long it will be until her memory is restored?"

"It's hard to say. That depends on how quickly her body recovers."

Toby, calmer now, asked, "How do you suggest we handle answering her inquiry?"

"In these situations, I find that it is best to try to calmly and slowly jog the patient's memory by drawing attention to relevant events. Did the patient and your friend discuss this trip recently?"

"Paige, her name is Paige. She is not just some patient, she is my friend, and colleague, and the love of my friend's life," Toby growled, stopping abruptly only when he saw the patented Cabe glare in his peripheral.

"Thank you," Cabe managed, Toby staring at the doctor in annoyance as he walked away. "Hey, do you think you will be okay watching Paige alone for a while? Sylvester and Happy are still sleeping and will be here later today."

"Yeah sure, no problem. Where are you going?"

"To see Walter. It's like you said, I'm sure his changing relationship with Paige, coupled with this incident, has Mr. 197 experiencing a lot emotionally. I'm sure he could use someone to talk to in person. I'll get a chopper and could be in Bakersfield in about an hour."

"Okay, I will try to see how much I can get Paige to remember."

~~ SCORPION ~~

Toby opened the door to Paige's hospital room, still unsure of how to approach her inquiry. Thankfully, for the moment he did not have to answer, because Scorpion's emotional liaison lay sleeping. Sleeping was good, Toby thought; as the anesthesia wore off, she could experience REM sleep, which could allow her subconscious to process the last few days, and perhaps she would remember the many conversations everyone had about Walter and Ralph traveling to present for the Karman Line Prize.

Toby was asleep in the chair next to Paige when he heard his friend grasp for air. Toby quickly rose to Paige's bedside. Clearly, something had upset her.

"Paige, you have to calm down. You have a pulmonary injury and it's going to hurt to breathe like this. What's wrong?"

She took the notepad Toby handed her and wrote, "Dream, Walter, Carmen. Who's Carmen? Where's Walter?"

~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~

Cabe delivered three solid knocks to the hotel room door before the genius answered.

"Hey son, how you holding up?" Cabe asked as he walked into the hotel room. He could tell immediately that Walter hadn't slept much, if at all.

"What's going on with Paige? Toby isn't answering me, and now you've come here. What is it that you can't tell me over the phone? It doesn't matter." Walter called to the boy across the room, "Ralph, pack your things, we are going back to LA."

"I thought Paige had civilized you enough to use greetings?"

Walter glared at Cabe, who couldn't help but chuckle at how Walter, who swore he didn't have emotions, was reacting to the whole situation. Toby was right: Walter cared so much for Paige that his genius mind couldn't comprehend it. Regardless of what kind of relationship he thought he had with Paige, he certainly was acting like a man in love. Cabe was finally able to commandeer the genius's attention and convince him to sit down.

"Son, I'm here because I'm sure this is a lot for you emotionally, and I thought you could use someone to help you process everything."

Walter listened attentively as Cabe continued, "Toby wasn't responding to you because I told him not to. I wanted to give the update in person because I knew if no one was here with you, then you would do something foolish."

"That is unlikely," Walter protested. "I would never take any action without thinking logically and carefully calculating all of the outcomes and consequences of my actions."

"Really, just how much time did you spend thinking about what to do when you first found out that Paige was hurt?"

"Your logic on that point is unassailable. However, I will try to listen to what you have to say, and think logically about what to do. Please tell me what is happening with Paige, is she okay, h-has s-she um, is she…"

"Paige is still alive, but there have been some developments. Paige woke up after the anesthesia wore off, asking for you and Ralph. Apparently, she is experiencing some memory loss…"

Walter sat, jaw clenched, already failing in his promise to listen to Cabe and think things through logically. All he could think of now was being near Paige.

"According to the Doc, Paige was able to sleep some and experience REM sleep, and her unconscious started to piece together the last few days…"

Walter could tell from Cabe's tone that there was something else. "But?"

"Well, apparently her subconscious subverted Karman, as in Karman Line Prize, with Carmen, as in woman…" Cabe sighed, not sure if he should continue, but Walter deserved to know the truth. "According to Toby, the last words that Paige wrote on the notepad she's been using to try to communicate were, 'Who's Carmen? Where's Walter?'"

The genius sat silently for a few minutes before standing up and announcing, for the second time since the agent arrived, "Ralph, let's go. We're going back to LA."

"Would you stop saying that?"

Walter grew more agitated. "What else am I supposed to do? I don't want Paige thinking I am cheating on her. Paige has been through enough issues with men who didn't care about her. The most efficient thing is to go to see her and explain everything."

Walter shoved past Cabe to gather the few belongings he had unpacked from the bathroom. Cabe followed and tried to get Walter's attention. "Listen son, she doesn't actually think that. She has been through a lot physically and mentally over the last few days. Toby is working on trying to jog Paige's memory. You know the doc is good at what he does, just give him time. Look, if we leave tomorrow, we can still make it to Berkeley or if Paige isn't better we can return to Los Angeles, but Toby is confident that Paige's memory will return on its own or he can at least get her to remember where you and Ralph are."

"Ralph, she must be worried sick about Ralph. W-where does she think he is?"

"She knows who you are, and she knows that Ralph is safe with you."

"Do you think it would be better if Ralph was in LA with Paige?"

"It could be, but for now why don't we plan for everyone to stay put until we hear more from the doc."

He reluctantly agreed. Cabe went to check on Ralph, and Walter decided to distract himself by reviewing his Karman Line Prize presentation again, trying to remember the tips that Paige gave him for connecting with the audience.

~~ SCORPION ~ SCORPION ~~

"Anything?"

Paige shook her head side to side, indicating that the doc's latest attempt to jog her memory had failed. Toby cursed silently to himself. He was thinking of what cutting edge psychological technique he would try next when Paige dozed off. She was still on some mild pain medicine for her injuries.

Toby was so focused on his tablet that he didn't even notice the doctor coming in to check the tube in Paige's chest. He was startled when the doctor said, "Looks good, she should be able to go home in a day or two."

He briefly discussed Paige's condition with the doctor before the young attendant continued his rounds. Toby didn't have any ideas for restoring Paige's memory, so he pulled his chair close to her bed. "Listen Paige, I am going to find a way to help you remember what's happened over the last few days, but until I do I want you to know that Walter wouldn't so much as look at another woman. Your subconscious got this one wrong. Walter cares about you more than he's ever cared about anyone, I hope you know that."

Toby sat silently by Paige's bedside, searching online for more information about restoring memories. He was determined to save his friend's budding relationship _and_ Walter's chance at achieving his dream.

"Walter thinking about another woman." The psychiatrist smirked. "I bet Walt doesn't even dream about other women in his sleep."

 **~~ AUTHOR'S NOTES ~~**

 **1.** **Special thanks to my betareader (lookingforthestars)**

 **2.** **I do not own Scorpion or its characters, CBS owns Scorpion and its characters.**

 **3.** **NO SCORPION MONDAY UNTIL JANUARY 18** **th** **, but hopefully some new fanfiction stories will help the time pass.**

 **4.** **Again, I am sorry if the medical details are not accurate, but with Paige stuck in the hospital and unable to talk I did not see a lot of options for advancing this plot.**

 **5.** **On a completely unrelated note, I have seen a few stories rave about Elyses Gabel's music. It really is great so please take a listen if you haven't already. If he and Katharine McPhee ever sing together as WAIGE or KELYES, I'd be ecstatic.**

 **6.** **As usual, enjoy, review, and follow. Let me know what you think of the story.**


	4. Mr Sandman, Bring Me a Dream

**Karman Line Prize**

 **Chapter Four – Mr. Sandman, Bring Me a Dream**

Happy was getting ready to head to the hospital when she received an urgent call from Toby. "Hey Hap, have you left yet?"

"No. I was on my way now."

"Great, I need you to bring a few things to the hospital. I think I have a good idea to help Paige get her memory back. I need you to bring a copy of the voicemail of the woman from the Karman Line Prize committee, and a sample of the mechanical grease Walter used when working on his rocket."

Happy scoffed. "That stuff is toxic, I don't think they'll let me into the hospital with it. Also, I don't know how to copy the phone message."

"Use one of Walter's odor-blocking containers," Toby suggested. "I don't need a lot, just enough for the smell to register in Paige's brain. Sylvester can help you with copying the call from the answering machine."

"Okay, I'll bring the stuff to the hospital as soon as possible."

Happy hung up the phone, surprised at Toby's business-like demeanor. His total lack of flirtation meant he must be serious. She motioned to Sylvester and got to work.

 **~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~**

Toby hung up with Happy and smirked to himself. He was amazed that his solution to restoring Paige's memories came, not from the many psychology books and articles he'd read, but from a National Geographic he saw in the waiting room when he took a rare break from sitting at Paige's bedside. The picture of a forest on the cover brought to mind an adage from one of his psychology professors at Harvard when Toby was merely a teenager: _Don't miss the forest for the trees_. The memory itself, along with that saying, inspired Toby's latest attempt. He was so focused on using advanced techniques for recovering Paige's memory that he neglected to account for the most basic method of recovering just about any repressed memory: using smell, hearing, touch, or other basic triggers. This method wasn't very reliable in court, but since that really wasn't a consideration here, there was no reason not to try.

Once Toby decided that this would be the best option, he needed to choose the triggers. He figured the distinctive smell of mechanic's grease would remind Paige of Walter working on his rocket. He'd spent just about every free moment working on it, and Paige had chastised Walter many times for getting the viscous black substance on Ralph's clothes before school.

Paige should also recognize the voice of the woman from the Karman Line Prize Committee. She spent a lot of time talking to the woman, rescheduling Walter's appointments to have his rocket inspected. When Walter first found out he was a finalist, it was Christmas Eve and Walter was just starting to come to terms with his emotions over losing Megan. Everyone except the genius himself knew that Walter was in no condition to travel such a long distance. He finally decided to stay after Paige told him that she wouldn't allow Ralph to go if he didn't give himself time to calm down. Walter's rescheduled appointment was a few weeks later, but by that time, Scorpion was involved in a mission critical to National Security and Walter was indispensable. Paige, along with Cabe and Assistant Director Cooper, secured this final opportunity for Walter to compete for the 15-million-dollar prize.

There was also progress on the medical front. The doctor had been in to confirm that it looked like Paige's lungs were healing on schedule, and once a pulmonologist confirmed, they could remove the tube inserted in her chest. After that, they would need to keep her overnight for observation to ensure that the lung was functioning properly, and then she could be released. She would need to take it slow, but at least she would be home and possibly able to talk more.

Now that Toby had a plan for restoring Paige's memories, and there was positive news about her condition, he could finally return the innumerable amount of texts he has received from a clearly distraught Walter. The typically logical and in-control genius was definitely acting like a nervous boyfriend, at times sending several requests for updates per hour. Hopefully this progress would keep the genius from returning to LA. Toby was optimistic that Paige's memories could be restored by tomorrow.

 **~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~**

Walter read the text from Toby before he slammed his phone down in frustration and started pacing. Cabe walked silently over to Walter's side, the genius sensing the agent in his peripheral. "Toby is a genius behaviorist. How could he not think to use the most fundamental methods of recovering memories first?"

"Listen son, genius or not, when a member of your team gets hit like Paige did, it affects you. Toby was the first one to see Paige after she was shot, and he didn't even wait for the all clear, meaning he could have been walking into a firefight. He helped put pressure on the wounds until the paramedics got there, and with the exception of going to give you an update, he refused to leave the waiting room at all until he spoke to a doctor. He sat there, Paige's blood all over his shirt and hands for hours until he knew that she was stable." Cabe sighed. "I know that what you and Paige have is special, but she's helped you all develop enough EQ to genuinely care about each other. That means that seeing Paige get shot, and being at the hospital…it takes a toll."

Walter stood silently, thinking about Cabe's words, before he muttered, "Well that's just it, isn't it? I wasn't there. I should have been there. How could I leave, how could I leave my team, or Paige…" The tears that he had been trying to hold back started to cloud his vision. "I should have been there. This wouldn't have happened if I was there."

"You're smart enough to know that's not true. You couldn't be in two places at once, and after considering all of the variables we agreed that things on the mission were under control and you should travel to Berkeley." Cabe rested his hand on Walter's shoulder. "You like facts, so here are the facts. Your exhaustive search didn't reveal any intel that the real target would be at the restaurant. As a matter of fact, everyone agreed that he would likely be in hiding since he knew that law enforcement was closing in. No one else at the restaurant was aware of the investigation which is why we decided that Paige, a civilian, would be safe undercover with extra backup support. During that last device placement, Paige knew that we only had one chance to get this guy, so you wouldn't have been able to talk her out of planting it, even though the safer option would have been to wait. Finally, in a thirty-second span, Toby heard the footsteps approaching Paige, there was the cock of the gun and she was on the ground, and two seconds after that so was the target. If any of us could have warned Paige or prevented her being shot, we would have. You know that."

Walter sniffled and wiped his eyes. "Even if I agree that my presence wouldn't have changed anything that happened, w-what if Paige d-doesn't see it that way, w-what if she is upset that I wasn't there or that I'm not there now, not just as a fellow member of Scorpion, but as her um…" he cleared his throat, "as her potential romantic partner? What is she changes her mind about us? Most normal men in this situation would have gone back. I feel ridiculous just sitting here, waiting. I should be doing something."

"I think that once Paige's memory comes back, she will remember exactly why the Karman Line Prize is so important to you. Besides, if she was expecting someone normal, then your romantic endeavors wouldn't have made it this far." For the first time since finding out Paige was hurt, Walter actually chuckled. "You won't lose her. Besides, just because you can't be there doesn't mean you can't find some creative way to let her know you're thinking about her."

"I thought about sending flowers, but Toby said it wasn't a good idea because of her lung injury."

"It might be okay now that she's starting to heal," Cabe offered. "But I think something more than flowers may be in order."

Walter raised his eyebrows at the agent before searching frantically for his tablet. Cabe smirked at having succeeded in providing the genius with another task, hoping to distract him long enough for Toby to execute his plan. Ralph came from the other room and announced that he was hungry. Cabe offered to treat them to a meal in the hotel restaurant, but Walter was already engrossed in his new project and ignored the conversation. On their way out, Cabe assured Ralph that Walter wasn't down the rabbit hole. He was just focused on a very important task.

 **~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~**

Happy arrived at Paige's hospital room with the items Toby had requested. As she swung the door open, causing it to slam into the wall, Toby rose to his feet and gestured with a finger over his mouth as Paige was still sleeping. The psychiatrist decided to wait to try to revive her memory because the pulmonologist had signed off and doctors were coming to take her into surgery for a minor procedure to remove the chest tube.

Less than an hour later, Paige was back in her room. There were no complications and the lung was healing as expected. Toby didn't want to test his theory while Paige was under the influence of the anesthesia, so once again, he waited.

She eventually started to stir. When she was alert enough to understand, Toby explained to her what he was about to do. He decided to start with the voice recording of the woman from the prize committee, even though there was a stronger connection between smell and memories. The grease was very odorous and he would use it if he needed to. Toby instructed Paige to close her eyes and just listen to the recording; it was going to play on a loop for a while. If she felt tired, she could go to sleep and the recording would be playing in the background. He left the paper next to the bed in case she remembered something. Paige indicated that she understood and Toby started the recording. "Hello, I'm calling from the Karman Line Prize Committee. I would like to inform Walter O'Brien that you have been selected as a finalist for the Karman Line Prize, based on the information and schematics you sent in. Please call to arrange for inspection of the rocket so that we can make a final decision."

Toby was joined by Happy at Paige's bedside. "Do you think this will work?"

"I believe so. Paige's brain should respond to the familiar voice, but we'll have to wait and see. Hopefully while she's in REM sleep stages, her brain will help her process what's she's hearing, correctly this time."

The two put on noise-cancelling headphones and waited anxiously for any sign that Paige was remembering.

~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~

The recording had been playing for about twenty minutes when Paige fell asleep. The familiar message permeating Paige's dreams. During the initial REM sleep stage, the random moments in Paige's dream were nonsensical. They consisted of Ralph repeating the words _mom_ and _rocket_ in various yet undisclosed contexts. In between these moments was the constant sound of banging metal.

As Paige entered the REM stage a second time, Ralph's statements expanded so he was repeating _mom_ , _rocket,_ and _Walter_. There were also scenes where Walter was saying the word _rocket_ to Paige, and scenes of Paige saying _Karman_ and _Berkeley_ in various locations throughout the garage. The sound of banging metal continued throughout these vignettes forming in Paige's mind.

During each REM stage more and more scenes of Walter, Paige, and Ralph saying the words _mom_ , _rocket_ , _Karman_ , and _Berkeley_ to each other and throughout the garage flooded Paige's subconscious.

As Paige reached her final REM sleep stage, everything started to come together. Against the backdrop of constantly banging metal, several moments played out in Paige's dreams. _Ralph_ trying to wake her excitedly asking to finish some aspect of the _rocket_ with _Walter_ , _Ralph_ running up to her at the garage excited for her to see some aspect of the _rocket_ he and _Walter_ had just finished. Paige trying to persuade a sleepy _Ralph_ to stop working on the _rocket_ with _Walter_ and go to bed, _Walter_ and _Ralph_ anxiously asking Paige's permission for Ralph to come with him on his trip to _Berkeley_ to present for the _Karman_ _Line Prize_ , and the many conversations she and Walter had about the trip in the weeks leading up to it. There were also moments with Paige talking softly, more intimately with Walter about the rocket, Berkeley, and the prize.

~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~

By the time Paige woke up, she had a clearer understanding of things. Not everything made sense, but Paige was now clear that Carmen wasn't a woman. Toby and Happy were at Paige's bedside within seconds of her stirring awake. Though she was actually able to talk now that the tube was out of her chest, Toby discouraged it because it was likely to be painful, and there was no need to experience pain unnecessarily when writing allowed for effective communication.

Paige took the familiar notepad and wrote down, _Karman not Carmen_ , _rocket_ , _Berkeley, prize_?

Toby smiled, though he was still cautious and decided to proceed slowly with filling in the details of what Paige's subconscious had revealed. Paige expressed surprise that Walter would agree to such a trip in the middle of a mission, especially one where she was undercover. Toby just smirked and told Paige that Walter refused to go at first, but then he talked to Paige in the loft and decided to go. That would account for the intimate conversations, Paige thought to herself.

Toby also told Paige that Walter was in Bakersfield trying to decide whether to come back to LA or continue to Berkeley. Paige's brow furrowed, and Toby was afraid that she might be upset Walter didn't come back right away. He frantically started explaining, "Cabe and I told him to stay in Bakersfield. We weren't really sure what your condition was, but he's been a wreck the whole time, and…" The behaviorist abruptly stopped talking when Paige tugged on the hem of his shirt. She showed him the paper where she had written, _Walter_ , _Berkeley_ , _now_.

~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~

Walter was trying keep himself calm by working on his tablet when his phone buzzed. He gazed at it for a few long minutes, shaken out of a deep concentration, before checking the screen. With a mixture of confusion and excitement, Walter realized who the message was from. "Paige."

~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES**

 **1.** **I do not own Scorpion or its characters, CBS owns Scorpion and its characters**

 **2.** **Special thanks to my betareader: lookingforthestars**

 **3.** **This story will have two more chapters. The other story I am working on Graduation Day probably has three chapters. I have some other ideas, but I won't start anything else until I finish up these stories.**

 **4.** **REM Sleep / Recovering Memories: I did do some research to get an idea of the science behind REM sleep and using other senses to recover memories, but please forgive me if things aren't scientifically accurate (I really did try).**

 **5.** **Random Question: I saw a pic on Katherine McPhee's Instagram of she and Elyses singing. Is that a WAIGE or KELYSES thing?**


	5. Chapter 5 - Get Him to Berkeley

**KARMAN LINE PRIZE**

 **Chapter Five – Get Him to UC Berkeley**

Walter was trying keep himself calm by working on his tablet when his phone buzzed. He gazed at it for a few long minutes, shaken out of a deep concentration, before checking the screen. With a mixture of confusion and excitement, Walter realized who the message was from. "Paige."

~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~

Paige sat in her hospital bed, frantically typing on her phone. She knew that over the past few days Walter had probably worked himself into an emotional mess, and she was anxious to contact him, even if only by text for now.

 **Hi Walter. I'm still in the hospital and Toby doesn't think it's a good idea for me to talk too much yet, and I am definitely not in any condition to FaceTime with you, so I'm texting. If we're going to have any kind of a relationship, we need to be honest with each other, so I am not going to lie to you.**

Paige carefully contemplated the next sentence of her text. A relationship was a tough endeavor for Walter, and Paige didn't want to play games with the genius. She decided that it was best to be completely honest.

 **Walter I miss you, a lot, but you have to go to Berkeley. I want you to go. The Karman Line Prize means a lot to you, and you and Ralph have worked extremely hard on the rocket. Please go to Berkeley and show the Karman Line Prize judges how brilliant you are. The doctors are satisfied that I am well enough to be discharged later today, and yes, I will stay at the garage until I am well enough to go home. Toby, Happy, and Sylvester will be there with me. Walter, please drive carefully because I want my two most important people to return to me safely.**

 **~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~**

Walter read the text in stunned silence. Even though Paige said that she couldn't talk, and calling would be illogical, it's the first thing the emotionless, logical thinker thought to do. He dialed the number and waited impatiently as the phone rang.

"Why hello Mr. 197, how's it going?"

"Toby, I'm not in the mood. Where's Paige?"

"She's right here, and I knew you would insist on calling after receiving the text. Walter, I'm going to give Paige the phone, but please remember she's still in some pain, so she can't talk long."

Walter tried to brace himself, but he was unprepared for the emotions that engulfed him as he heard Paige weakly call his name.

"P-Paige, how are you, uh, doing?" Walter asked nervously before immediately chastising himself for asking such as obvious question.

Paige resisted the urge to laugh, then faintly responded, "To be honest, I've been better."

All of the emotions that had been building up inside Walter finally released in a hearty yet tearful laugh. "I know you can't talk long, but I just wanted to be sure that you're okay with me going to Berkeley. If you have any hesitation at all…"

"Walter, please go to Berkeley," she interrupted softly.

"Okay, umm, i-if you're uh sure, then I guess I will go. D-do you want R-Ralph to come s-stay with you?"

Paige hesitated before answering. Of course she wanted her son back in LA. After everything she had been through, she wanted to hug him and stroke his hair, and make sure that he was safe. But she knew that if she made them bring him back, he would be upset with her, reversing all of the progress he'd made. So instead she answered as firmly as she could, "No, it's okay if he travels to Berkeley, as long as you promise to be safe."

"Okay, uh, I won't make you talk anymore. I don't w-want you to be in pain. We can just text from now on. Paige I lo-, I lo-." Walter took a deep breath and sighed as he attempted to get the words he wanted to say out, but they wouldn't come. Instead the genius settled for, "I lo-look forward to seeing you as soon as possible."

Paige smiled, hoping that she had correctly guessed what her genius was struggling so hard to express. "I look forward to seeing you too."

Walter ended the call as Cabe came into the common area where he was sitting. "That was Paige. She, uh, said that she wanted me to go to Berkeley."

"Great, so we can go. If I help you drive, we can be there tonight and you can be rested for your presentation tomorrow afternoon." Cabe turned to leave the room but noticed that Walter wasn't following him. "What's wrong, son?"

Walter stared at Cabe contemplatively. "Do you, uh, think that maybe Paige wasn't telling me the truth?"

Cabe gave him a confused look, and Walter continued, "What I mean is that, um, in preparation for the possibility of engaging in a romantic relationship I did some research, reading articles from various periodicals. Some of them cautioned that women are not always truthful. The "Top Ten Things Guys Should Just Know" and "What She Says v. What She Means" articles seemed to insinuate that women will sometimes say things they don't mean. Do you, uh, think that Paige would tell me to go to Berkeley if she really wanted me to come back to LA?"

"What periodicals did you read, exactly?"

"Typically I would consult peer-reviewed scholarly journals, but in this case, I figured it would be best to gather data from the same sources that Paige does…"

"You read chick magazines."

"No, of course not, what relevance would magazines about agriculture or food have to this subject?"

Cabe just shook his head. "Never mind, listen, regardless of what those 'sources,'" Cabe emphasized with air quotes, "said, Paige knows you and she knows how much you struggle with processing emotions. I don't think she would play those kinds of games with you. If she told you that she was okay with going to Berkeley, I believe that she meant it."

Walter thought for a moment. Paige was the first one to come forward with her feelings. And with the exception of their relationship experiment, where neither one of them had been truthful about the results, she had always been honest with him. She had consistently stated that she was okay with his trip to Berkeley.

These facts seemed to corroborate what Cabe said. After a few minutes, Walter was satisfied that he hadn't mistakenly assessed the situation. "You're right," he stated more calmly. "Let's get ready to go. I promised Paige we would be careful, and we don't want to have to rush."

~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~

The 276-mile route from Bakersfield to Berkeley should have taken about six hours, but there was traffic. "It has been two hours and we have traveled less than 100 miles. We're not going to make it on schedule."

"Relax, we have plenty of time. You're not scheduled to present until tomorrow."

"Uh huh," the genius answered unconvincingly.

"Why did you leave so early, anyway? If you hadn't have stopped in Bakersfield, you would have been at Berkeley at least two days early."

"Oh yeah, um, I was having some trouble focusing on the presentation. Not the science, but I was nervous about connecting with the panel. Paige suggested that I come to Berkeley early to take some time to myself to prepare. We were going to FaceTime so that she could help me. Since we stopped in Bakersfield, I was able to go over the tips that she gave me, so that's not necessary now."

Cabe kept his skepticism about why Paige would want to talk to him alone to himself and simply nodded, affirming the genius's comments.

Much of the rest of the ride was spent in contented silence by all. Walter alternated between making final preparations for presentation and checking on the progress of his gifts for Paige. He resisted the urge to text her incessantly, and somehow managed to only contact her when they left Bakersfield and in response to finding out that she was being discharged. Ralph was in the back seat, either reading a book or playing the game that Walter created to help him practice his coding. Cabe figured it was safest if he drove, given everything that Walter had been through in the last couple of days.

The trio finally arrived at their accommodations near the university at around ten the night before Walter's scheduled presentation. He texted Paige to let her know that they arrived safely before settling in to try and sleep. Of course, his dense mind was racing, making it impossible to rest. Walter thought he was imagining things when he heard a familiar sound: the ringtone that he assigned to Paige. He jackknifed to a sitting position and answered. "Hello, Paige, a-are you okay?"

Paige laughed softly. "Walter, I'm fine. I just wanted to thank you for the flowers and say goodnight. You need to get some sleep before your presentation. Please don't spend all night worrying about me. I'm fine."

Walter smiled, thinking of how Paige really understood him and always knew what he needed without him telling her. "You're welcome. I hope you liked the flowers. I remembered that you said they were your favorite."

"I love the flowers, and the cards. Thank you very much. Good night, Walter."

"Good night Paige." Walter hung up the phone, and sighed before laying down and eventually drifting off to sleep.

~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~~

Paige had arrived at the garage after being discharged from the hospital. She was thankful to back in the world, but Toby still wasn't letting her too far out of his sight. Happy and Sylvester were around the garage but working on their own projects. Paige knew they would come if she called them. Toby, on the other hand, was always somewhere nearby and by her side at the slightest sign of discomfort.

When the dust from Happy's project started to irritate Paige, she moved gingerly to the loft, where she was shocked to find a bouquet of her favorite flowers, a handmade card, and a book of Shakespearean poetry on the kitchen table. The card featured a hand-drawn reproduction of her favorite Gauguin painting, and inside were the words: _Just wanted you to know that I was thinking about you. Feel Better._

Paige was still trying to absorb the shock of Walter's romantic gesture when Toby appeared in the loft carrying her luggage. "They were delivered this morning by a local artist. I believe she left her business card." Toby handed her the card and asked if she needed anything before he left the loft.

She studied the small, rectangular card, and her face morphed into a grin that stretched from ear to ear. She only remembered mentioning once that she had a classmate who was an artist. She couldn't believe that Walter remembered. She didn't want to even think about how he found her phone number or how much he paid her to get the reproduction so fast. The work was impeccable. Paige reached gingerly for her phone to call and thank Walter, before realizing that he was probably still on the road and she would have to call him later.

Paige was hesitant to enter Walter's bedroom at first, but he had insisted that she stay there and make herself comfortable. A few minutes after settling into the bed, Paige reached into the nightstand to get the TV remote and a tablet; Walter had told her where everything was and to help herself to anything she needed, but she still felt weird exploring his personal space so freely.

Paige inhaled deeply as she settled into the pillows. She didn't lie to Walter when she said she wanted him to go to Berkeley, but she did miss him. They were definitely due for a conversation when he came back. She was lost in thought when her phone beeped with a text alert from Walter, letting her know that they arrived safely. Paige was finally able to call him, and although she still couldn't speak for long, hearing Walter's voice made her more content, and she was finally able to drift off to sleep.

~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION~~

The next morning, Walter woke up very early. He was dressed and drinking his second cup of coffee before Ralph and Cabe emerged from their rooms. Once all three were dressed, they left for the presentation. Walter was starting to get nervous, so Cabe was the first to speak to the receptionist when the group was addressed. "On behalf of Homeland Security, I would like to thank you for accommodating Mr. O'Brien. Unfortunately, terrorists don't try to destroy our country at convenient times."

The receptionist laughed. "We are used to having to reschedule appointments, as the individuals who compete for this prize are often extremely busy. I am just glad Mr. O'Brien could make it this weekend because we do need to make a decision. I probably shouldn't say this, but the committee was definitely looking forward to hearing Mr. O'Brien explain his innovations. Are you ready?"

"Is it okay if Ralph comes with me?" Walter interjected. "He is going to help with the presentation."

"Of course, gentlemen, right this way. Mr. Gallo, would you like to sit in?"

"No thanks. I don't have the minimum IQ for this meeting," Cabe said with a shrug.

The receptionist smiled. "Very well, then. You are free to sit here in the lounge."

Walter and Ralph disappeared through the double doors, wheeling the rocket into the room.

About an hour later, the two re-emerged through those same doors, flanked by the entire Karman Line Prize Committee, as well as the Dean of the UC Berkeley Sciences Department. The demeanor of everyone in the group, except Walter, told Cabe that the presentation had gone well.

The dean of was the first to speak. "Mr. O'Brien, Mr. Dineen, and Agent Gallo, I don't have a vote on this committee but they let me sit in as the host. I must say I was thoroughly impressed by what I heard. Especially the contributions this young man made to the project." The dean put his hand on Ralph's shoulder, causing the young genius to wince, and handed Ralph his card. "Son, when you are ready to go to college, you call me. We would be honored to welcome you at the UC Berkeley Science Department."

Someone else from the committee approached the genius and his protégé. "If the three of you aren't in any rush, I would love to take you to lunch," he offered.

Cabe could see in Walter's eyes that he had stopped paying attention and was lost in thought about something—or someone—else. "As generous as that offer is, we actually left LA in the middle of an ongoing investigation and we do need to get back as soon as possible," Cabe told the man. "We have quite a drive ahead of us, so we should probably get going."

Another member of the committee, the CEO of an aeronautics manufacturing company, spoke while texting frantically on his phone. "If you need to get back right away, why don't you take my plane? I'm sure the university could store the rocket in a safe location until we make a decision. If your rocket is selected, we will need to keep it anyway. If not, you can pick it up once your investigation is complete."

"We could definitely arrange to store the rocket in the science department warehouse," the dean added.

"Then it's settled. Grab your things from your van and I'll arrange for transportation to the plane."

Walter and Ralph left without saying anything further. Cabe approached the CEO and shook his hand. "On behalf of Homeland Security, I would like to thank you. Your generosity will not be forgotten."

~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~

Walter was barely settled into the car on the way to the airport when he texted Paige, letting her know of the change in his arrival time. He was distressed to learn that she had returned to her apartment and wasn't staying at the loft. Paige assured him that the Cyclone were gracious hosts and caregivers and that there was nothing wrong with the loft, she just missed her apartment. Walter was ready to call and yell at Toby, but Cabe convinced him to wait to address it until they were home and had all of the information.

The flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles was short; after about an hour, the plane was landing at a private airfield. The waiting driver took Cabe to the garage, before departing with Walter and Ralph to Paige's apartment. The genius was experiencing a complex mixture of emotions surrounding his impending reunion with Paige. Lost in his thoughts, he was surprised to find himself at her door, and after three solid knocks, she answered.

Ralph ran up to his mother and gave her a hug before veering off to take his things to his room. Walter stood frozen in the doorway.

 **~~~ AUTHOR'S NOTES ~~~**

 **1.** **I do not own Scorpion or its characters, CBS owns Scorpion and its characters.**

 **2.** **SCORPION MONDAY TOMORROW – Who's excited? The writers are taking WAIGE really slow, but I saw some new KELYES pics which is exciting.**

 **3.** **Special Thanks to my betareader (lookingforthestars)**

 **4.** **There will be one more chapter to Karman Line Prize. I know this story has been frustrating for some, but I thank everyone for sticking with this story.**

 **5.** **As usual read, review, and favorite. Let me know what you all think.**


	6. Her Two Most Important People

**Here is the latest installment of Karman Line Prize. Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, or favorited this story. I did not bring all of the events to a conclusion so there will be atleast one more chapter. For those who may be disappointed in how this chapter ends, I am working on a steamier one-shot follow-up to this story.**

 **~~ SCORPION ~~**

 **Karman Line Prize – Chapter Six**

 **Her Two Most Important People**

Walter just stood frozen at the door. There were so many thoughts pouring through his mind all at once. He wanted to kiss her, but were her lungs still hurt? Should he apologize? Was Paige upset with him for not being here? She said it was okay, but did she mean it? There were also other emotions: relief that Paige was okay; anger, mostly at himself; sudden doubt in his ability to be successful in a relationship. The constant swirling of these thoughts was stilled when Walter felt the familiar sensation of a soft hand on his cheek.

Walter shook himself from his thoughts, and focused on Paige. "I missed you," she said finally, and without giving Walter a chance to respond, she buried her head in his chest and wrapped her arms around him. Walter was reluctant to reciprocate until he felt wetness against his chest, and quickly realized that Paige was starting to cry.

Without hesitation, the genius, usually averse to touch, wrapped his arms around Paige and pushed the two of them into the apartment. Paige momentarily released one hand to close the door. When Paige's hands returned to their original position around his back, the two just stood embraced for a few minutes. The genius held her tighter as he felt his shirt getting wetter. He glanced in the direction of Ralph's room, saw that the door was still closed, and finally said in a timid voice, "I'm sorry."

His words and tone caused Paige to back away. She tried to reassure him that it wasn't his fault, but it was too late: Walter could see her tear-stained face, and now stood with his jaw taunt and his fist clenched. Paige softly stroked Walter's arm, finally grabbing his attention, before taking his hand and leading him to the couch.

Paige found a tissue and tried to wipe her tears before continuing. "Walter, it's not your fault and I'm not upset with you for going to Berkeley. It's just been a rough couple of days. I could have died, you know; it took every bit of strength I had not to break down in front of the team. That's one of the reasons that I wanted to come back to my apartment. I needed to have a good cry."

Walter grabbed another tissue and handed it to Paige, wordlessly tucking her hair behind her ear. His body language had softened, but Paige could tell from the focused look on his face that it was going to be a few minutes before they resumed the conversation. Paige figured he must be thinking about something and would speak when he was ready. For now, she was just happy to be able to rest against his chest.

~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~

Ten long minutes later, Walter finally emerged from his thoughts. He was surprised to find Paige resting peacefully against his chest. The slight shift of his body caused Paige to stir. "Well, welcome back from wherever you were," she said with a smile as she massaged Walter's hair with one hand, the other still against his chest.

Walter had a habit of blanking out and getting caught up in his thoughts, even in the middle of conversations. It was one of the reasons that his previous relationships fell flat. However, Paige didn't try to rouse him from his thoughts, or accuse him of not paying attention to her emotional needs. Though he still wondered what exactly made her so different than other women, Walter was more certain than ever that he could make things work with Paige.

Feeling confident, Walter turned to face Paige, and held her soft and delicate hands in his. Paige looked up at him expectantly, and Walter let out a long sigh before attempting to express himself. "Paige, I'm, uh, sorry that I wasn't here for you when you were hurt." The liaison wanted to interject, remind him again that it wasn't his fault that he wasn't there. But she thought it was best to just squeeze Walter's hand, silently encouraging him to continue.

"I almost came back a few times. All I could think about was how much I hated that I wasn't here for you, to hold your hand, to encourage you, and to support you. I had a lot of time to think, and I thought about how much I want to be the person that you depend on to, uh, help you and support you. I want to be the first person you call when you need anything. I know I'm still not good with emotions, but with your help I know that I can learn to respond appropriately in such situations. I used to only think about math and science, but now I find that I think about you whenever you're not nearby. I can't even focus on things unless I know you are okay."

Paige chuckled, thinking about how Walter always called or texted to confirm that she got home after she left the garage. He claimed that it was logical, that because of the nature of Scorpion's work, anything could happen to her on the way home. She always thought about countering with the fact that he never followed up on any of the other team members, but decided against it.

"I also know that the physical side of things may take some time, but I am willing to work on being more com-comfortable with phy-physical, uh, contact." Walter stumbled as his mind briefly wandered, thinking of extended contact with the beautiful woman in front of him. "Paige, I know you said that we didn't need to define our relationship, but I want to. These past few days made me realize that I like being the most important person in your life." Walter quickly realized how presumptuous his statement was and backtracked. "W-what, I mean to say is that I wo-would like to be the most im-important person in your life." He glanced in the direction of Ralph's door and smiled. "Well, the second most important person."

Walter's confession wasn't as smooth as he would have hoped, but it was out. He released Paige's hand and ran his fingers through his hair, anxiously awaiting her response.

~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~

Paige just sat in stunned silence for a few minutes. This was the most forward Walter had ever been with his feelings. She moved Walter's hands from his hair to her hips, and began running one hand through his curly hair.

"Walter, you are the second most important person in my life. No one has ever treated Ralph or me so well." Paige started to tear up again, causing Walter's posture to stiffen momentarily, but her smile immediately relaxed the genius. "When I was in the hospital, I missed you. I missed you so much." Walter tensed again and hung his head. Paige reached her fingers under his chin and forcibly raised his head to make sure he was looking at her. She wanted to be absolutely sure he heard and understood her next statement. "Even though I missed you, I understand why you had to go, and I am so proud of what you and Ralph created. Walter, waiting to define our relationship wasn't just for your benefit. I also have my own reasons for wanting to take things slow. You surprised me."

Paige intertwined her hands with Walter's and brought their now conjoined hands to her lips for a chaste kiss before resting them on her chest. "I never expected for anyone else to come into my life who I could trust with my heart or with Ralph. I've been fighting you, us, because I didn't remember how to fully trust another person." Paige scooted closer to Walter, and started to run her hands up and down his forearm. "You make me want to trust again, Walter, and because of you, my memories of how good it feels to trust and rely on another person are slowly returning."

She paused to consider what to say next, causing a suddenly disappointed Walter to interject. "So you, u-um, you don't want to be in a relationship with me until I earn your trust. I will do whatever—."

Paige interrupted by putting a finger to his lips, smiling at him as her hand moved to his jaw. "I absolutely want to be in a relationship with you, but I want you to understand that you're not the only person who is learning how to be in one. You aren't coming into this relationship with a deficiency; I have to accept that your EQ is slowly evolving, and you have to accept that I am still learning how to trust again, but together we will figure out how to make this work."

She was becoming emotional again, so Walter cupped her face with his hands, running his thumbs over her cheeks to wipe the tears. "I could kill _him_ for treating you so badly. You deserved better, and I promise to do my best to earn your trust every day." He was sure to speak in a whisper since Paige didn't like anyone to speak badly about Drew in Ralph's presence. Even though the boy was in his room, Walter thought it was prudent to be careful.

Paige placed her hands on top of his. "Walter, if it wasn't for _him_ , I wouldn't have Ralph, and I probably wouldn't have come to Los Angeles, or to Scorpion. And I know you would never intentionally hurt me. I feel completely safe with you."

"Fine, I won't kill him, but just so you know, Toby has been working on a plan that would make his life pretty terrible. None of us were sure about Ralph going to Portland for visits, so Toby made preparations just in case he starts talking about taking you or Ralph away from me, or from Scorpion."

Paige furrowed her brow, causing Walter to reconsider telling her.

"I think he calls it Operation Pete Rose," he continued reluctantly. "I'm not really clear on all the particulars, but it has something to do with making it look like he is gambling on baseball games." Walter still couldn't tell from her reaction how she felt, so he added, "but w-we won't, uh, implement this plan un-unless you agree to it."

Paige grinned. "Do you even know who Pete Rose is? You know what, never mind, the last person I want to think about right now is Drew, but I do appreciate that you and the rest of the team would go through so much trouble for me and Ralph." She sighed and moved her hands to his chest. "Now, back to our relationship. With regard to the physical side of things. I am willing to be patient, Walter." The liaison held his head still with one finger while gazing directly into his eyes. "Does your aversion to physical touch include kissing? Because I have wanted to kiss you ever since I saw you standing in my doorway."

Walter gulped. "Uh, I w-wanted to, uh, kiss you too, but I t-thought maybe you were still healing, and that k-kissing might hurt."

Paige smiled and leaned forward. "I'm willing to risk it."

Walter engulfed her lips with his. He was tentative at first, breaking the kiss to check for signs of distress. Without saying a word, Paige grabbed his cheeks and recaptured his lips before planting soft kisses all over his face. The two started to deepen the kiss when a door down the hallway cracked open.

~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~

The new couple broke apart and tried to act normal, even though Paige's lipstick was smeared, Walter had lip prints on his face, and they were both blushing.

"Hey sweetheart, did you, uh, need something?" Paige asked calmly.

Ralph smiled. Unbeknownst to his mother and his genius mentor, he had opened the door earlier while they were talking, trying to sort out their relationship. Once Ralph realized the nature of their conversation, he went into his room, put on some headphones and read, not wanting to disturb them. Eventually, though, the need for something to eat became too great and he came into the living room to inquire about dinner.

"Can you please cook something?" Ralph asked optimistically. "We ate a lot of takeout on the road, and I really miss your food."

Walter was the first to respond. "Ralph, your mother is just getting over some major injuries. It is highly inappropriate to expect her to cook for us in her condition."

Paige was shocked at Walter's zeal to defend her, even against her own son, and while Walter never raised his voice, Paige could see the disappointment in Ralph's eyes. "No, it's okay, I think there is tomato soup in the freezer which I can heat up with grilled cheese sandwiches. How does that sound?"

She was relieved when her baby boy's smile returned. Walter, on the other hand, looked like he saw a ghost. He feared her response to his outburst as he followed her to the kitchen. Paige made sure Ralph was occupied before turning to Walter and quietly chastising him, but she couldn't be too mad at his instinct to protect her, even if it was from her son.

Paige winced, and Walter realized that she was still in some pain. "Hey, why don't you sit with Ralph, and he can tell you about our trip? I'll handle dinner."

Paige was unconvinced, given that Walter's culinary skills were severely lacking.

"I have seen you heat up soup at the garage numerous times," he insisted, "and I think I can handle melting cheese between bread on the griddle. Besides, if I need help, you are only a few feet away."

The liaison eventually relented and left Walter alone. She joined Ralph on the sofa and listened to him excitedly describe their adventures on the road, including all of the times that he had to pack and unpack his clothes because Walter kept changing his mind about coming back to L.A.

Paige smiled at the genius tearing through her kitchen.

~~ SCORPION ~~ SCORPION ~~

Walter managed to complete dinner, and all three ate around the kitchen island. The grilled cheese sandwiches were perfect, and Walter admitted that he had learned to make them while camping with Cabe when he was young. Dinner conversation consisted of more discussion of the trip, including Ralph's offer from the dean at Berkeley. Paige wanted her son to remain in elementary school to develop more emotionally and better connect with people, but she didn't want to stunt his intellectual development either. Finding out that a dean at Berkeley practically offered him a scholarship on the spot wasn't something she could ignore. Paige was going to have to give some serious thought to letting Ralph take college classes.

Walter noticed Paige's pensive demeanor during dinner and offered to clean the kitchen while she rested. She insisted that she was fine and wanted to clean up, so she listened to music on her iPod while Walter and Ralph played video games in the living room. After the final round, Ralph stood up to stretch and asked, "Mom, do you mind reading with me at bedtime tonight?"

Paige was shocked. Ralph usually tried to extend Walter's visits for as long as possible by having the genius read him several chapters of very thick books at bedtime. She started to ask why he didn't want Walter to read him a story, but he figured that Ralph must have his reasons. "Of course, honey. Why don't you go get ready for bed, and I'll be there in a few minutes?"

Ralph went to his room as directed, leaving Paige and Walter alone in the living room. "Hey, is everything okay? Ralph always asks you to read him a story when you're here."

Walter was unfazed. "Oh, we've spent the last few days together, and I'm sure he just missed you." His face morphed into a smile as he grabbed his things and headed towards the door. "Besides, I'll have a lot more chances to read him stories."

Paige returned his smile before fusing her lips to his. They broke apart, needing air, only for Walter to wrap Paige in his arms to passionately kiss her again. She pushed Walter towards the door, and with one final kiss, she whispered, "Goodnight, Walter. I'll see you tomorrow."

She shut the door behind him and leaned against it, reveling in thoughts of being in a relationship with Walter O'Brien. Her reverie was broken by her son calling her name, and after a final long sigh, Paige gathered herself and made her way toward the room of the most important person in her life.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES**

 **1.** **SCORPION MONDAY (2/22/16) –YAY!**

 **2.** **I do not own Scorpion or its characters, CBS owns Scorpion and its characters**

 **3.** **Special thanks to my betareader: lookingforthestars**

 **4.** **It took me a while to decide if this chapter was going to end. I couldn't decide if I wanted to move things to an M rating or not. Ultimately, I decided not to. There were a few reasons for this, but one main reason for this is that I wanted to set up a one-shot I am working on, in which Paige and Walter have not been intimate yet.**

 **5.** **Please read, favorite, review, enjoy!**


	7. Progress Update

I just wanted everyone to know that I haven't forgot about finishing Karman Line Prize or Graduation Day. My grandfather is again gravely ill, there's a possibility he might die very soon, which I am not handling very well. Writing is just really hard because it requires a quiet environment, and whenever it's quiet, I start thinking about my grandpa and I start crying. I have the barebones of these chapters planned, I just haven't been able to complete them. Please know that I will continue to try to complete them and will have them finished as soon as I can.

Renee


	8. Chapter 7 - And The Winner Is

**Karman Line Prize Chapter 7**

 **AND THE WINNER IS…**

"Ralph sweetie, breakfast is here," Paige called to Ralph from the living room. She cringed as she looked up from Walter's laptop, quickly realizing the mistake she had made.

After a great deal of discussion, Paige agreed to let Ralph attend college full-time. The Dean at Berkeley gave Ralph a great recommendation to Cal Sci and Ralph was immediately accepted for the upcoming term. Paige had also agreed to try and treat Ralph more like the mature young man he was becoming and less like a child. Paramount on the mature treatment agenda was calling Ralph by his name and not any of the nicknames Paige was so fond of.

"Mom, we agreed!" Ralph said in a slightly exasperated tone as he emerged from the bathroom, trying to fix his bowtie.

"I'm sorry sw—." Paige drew a deep breath. "Ralph, these changes are just going to take some time to get used to, but I'm working on it. Now, are you too big for your mother to help you with your tie?"

Ralph flashed a resigned grin as he approached his mother. She fixed his tie, resisting the urge to run her fingers through his hair.

"All done," Paige announced. "We have to be ready to go soon. Have you packed your clothes for your sleepover with Sylvester and Cabe?" Cabe and Sylvester had to finish a case in Los Angeles, but were flying into San Francisco today. They were also going to watch Ralph for the rest of the weekend so that Walter and Paige could spend some time alone to celebrate three months as a couple. Paige couldn't help but smile at the thought of having Walter O'Brien to herself for a whole weekend!

By the time Paige turned her attention back to her son, he had gotten his overnight bag from his room, and was sitting at the table eating breakfast.

Paige smiled as she went to find Walter.

She leaned against the door, watching as Walter fiddled with his clothes in the mirror. There had been a few challenges over the past three months. Still, he had been better at being in a relationship than he gave himself credit for, an opinion Paige was thankful that Walter finally agreed with. Paige sighed as she cautiously approached her boyfriend. In the entire time they had been dating, practically the entire time she knew him, Walter had always acknowledged her presence when she entered a room. The fact that she had been standing there for five minutes and he hadn't said anything highlighted the depth of his distraction. Of course, so did the fact that he was fiddling with his tie. His red tie. Paige's favorite tie. Something that almost drove Paige to distraction.

Paige drew a deep breath, trying to push certain lustful thoughts from her mind. _One more day,_ she thought to herself as she strode towards her boyfriend.

She hugged Walter from behind, settling her hands around his torso and planting a carefully-placed kiss on his neck. A moment later, a pair of rough hands squeezed over top of hers.

"Hi," the curly-haired genius finally said as he turned to face his girlfriend.

"Hey," she replied, running her hands across his shoulders, pausing at his tie. They both smiled knowingly. "Are you okay? You've been standing here an awfully long time."

"Yes, I am, uh, just nervous."

"Walter, your presentation is fine. You've rehearsed it numerous times, and I just checked the slides to make sure all of the appropriate notes are there. They may be undergraduates, but they are science majors who signed up for this presentation. I don't think they will."

Walter interrupted, "You checked the slides, on my computer?"

The monotone question along with the undiscernible look on Walter's face prompted Paige to ask. "Walter, are you upset that I looked at your computer?"

Walter didn't answer right away. He realized how what he had said must have sounded. Of course he wasn't mad at her. He didn't care if she looked at his computer. He didn't hold any secrets from her.

"Walter."

He shook himself from his thoughts. "No, of course I'm not upset that you looked at my presentation or my computer. It's just that I…" Walter ran his hand over his face before continuing, "I didn't want you to work for this entire trip. I was hoping that this trip would be more of a vacation for you."

That earned the genius a kiss. "Walter, you are presenting as the winner of the Karman Line Prize today. As both your girlfriend and your company liaison, I am willing to do whatever it takes for your presentation to be successful." She pulled Walter closer so she could nibble his ear as she whispered, "Besides, after today, it's all play and no work for the rest of the weekend."

Both faces morphed into knowing grins, as they continued their light kissing and petting. Paige knew they were going to spend the rest of the weekend together, but Walter was trying to be romantic and surprise her, so she had no idea what their plans were.

It was Paige who finally broke their blissful moment and headed for the door. "Would you please check on Ralph while I finish getting dressed? There is also breakfast if you want."

Walter nodded, following her out of his room.

A few moments later, Paige was in her bathroom staring in the mirror. Nothing could seem to wipe the smile off of her face. This weekend, after all of the activities related to Walter's winning the Karman Line Prize, she and Walter were going to commemorate three months as a couple. The milestone for most couples was especially significant for Walter and Paige because Walter insisted on waiting this long before they had sex.

 _In the six weeks that Walter and Paige had been dating, they spent a considerable amount of time where the only sounds between them alternated between her breathless moans, a light grunting sound that occasionally sprang from his throat, and the popping sound caused by the quick releases then reconnection of their tightly locked lips. They would fight the anatomical need for oxygen as long as possible, putting off even brief separation of their lips and the intertwined tongues hidden within them._

 _Walter was always so careful with his hands. They usually laid somewhere on the sides of her torso, or at the small of her back. Paige favored laying her hands around his neck, or running through his curly hair. There were times Paige was tempted to push the issue literally, by bringing his hands upward toward her breasts, which were always so sensitive when they kissed, or by undoing his buttons to reach the muscles that were tantalizingly out of reach underneath his shirts. She decided it was best not to overwhelm the genius._

 _Paige knew that even when they were kissing, a million thoughts were flowing through her genius's head. Did he not push things because he was unsure of his reaction? Were his actions dictated by what he thought was appropriate at this stage of their relationship? Paige really wasn't concerned with why; all she thought about was how she could get Walter to loosen up and relax. Thankfully, Paige didn't have to come up with a plan._

 _Over the vehement protests of Walter, the team prepared to execute a simple honey trap. Paige was undercover as a CIA analyst with access to classified material. She was trying to stall the subject, a terrorist who had already procured two of the chemicals necessary to make a bomb, at the bar while the rest of the team searched his room for the other chemicals. Unbeknownst to the team, the terrorist had a secret alarm on the storage unit where the materials were hidden. Once the team was made, Paige was held hostage for over five hours before the team was able to rescue her. Toby accompanied Paige back to the garage while the rest of the team went to ensure safe disposal of the materials. She was resting in the loft when Walter returned a few hours later._

 _"_ _Paige, Paige, are you here?" Walter raced around the lower level of the garage searching for his girlfriend. He was in the middle of an intense discussion with Toby about leaving Paige alone when she finally responded._

 _"_ _Walter, I'm here. Sorry, I was resting on the couch. I must have fallen asleep."_

 _Walter rushed to Paige. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? They only checked you in the ambulance, maybe you should go to the—."_

 _Paige interrupted by kissing his cheek. "Walter, I'm okay. Just a little shaken up. Ralph is staying with Sylvester tonight to give me a chance to recover."_

 _Walter started to back up. "If you would, uh, rather b-be alone, I will just, uh, grab some things from my room. You can stay in there. I can stay in the airstream." Walter's disappointment was evident in his eyes and body language. Paige smiled at the thought that maybe Walter craved the same closeness she desired._

 _She grabbed his wrist as he turned away. "Walter, I want you to stay."_

 _Walter couldn't stop the grin on his face, "Great. I'll stay, and we can do whatever you want. Whatever would make you feel better."_

 _Paige smiled mischievously, and she bit her bottom lip as she led Walter to the couch. Before Walter could give much thought to Paige's expression, her lips had engulfed his. In the next moment, she was rising off the couch, and Walter attempted to move with her but she pushed him back down._

 _She peppered kisses up his jawline before whispering seductively in his ear, as her arms settled across his neck, her hands busy at the back of his head, "You said we could do whatever I wanted, and what I want right now is you." Paige was almost ashamed at how forward she was being, but God she wanted—no, needed—him desperately._

 _Walter growled as Paige continued kissing him. He tentatively placed his hands across Paige's waist and the look he shot her caused Paige to tremble instantly she raised her arms in response to his silent request for permission._

 _Walter's eyes widened and his hands explored the newly exposed areas. Paige smiled as she leaned down to resume the kissing. One hand ran through the curls at the back of his head, and the other hand reached for the buttons on his shirt. She got as far as the third button before she needed to breathe._

 _Walter used this opportunity to interject with her name. Paige glanced up and could tell from the look on his face that he wanted to talk. "You're disappointed."_

 _Paige smiled. Her boyfriend's mind and body clearly were not in sync because his fingers flexing at her waist as she moved to stand up, and the hitch in his speech, were not sending the message to slow down that she knew was coming. She retrieved her shirt from the floor before returning to the couch. She linked their hands before continuing, "No, of course I'm not disappointed. I would never be disappointed in you for telling me how you feel." She shifted closer. "I take it you, uh, you have concerns?"_

 _He turned to face her. "I really am sorry, Paige. I just, uh, I think we need to talk first." She squeezed his hands, a signal to Walter that he should continue. "Uh, okay, I want you to know that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever known and that I do love you. I didn't want you to think that my, uh, hesitation had anything to do with those two facts about our relationship."_

 _Paige smiled and ran her hand across his jawline. "I figured that, but I am glad to hear you say it."_

 _Walter struggled to stay focused. The way Paige was looking at him, her hand caressing his face, made him want to bury his concerns and then bury his face in her bosom and kiss her senseless. He swallowed hard. "Both of those things are, uh true, but my concern is that, even though I know that I am trying and that I am much better, I still want to be sure that I can be the person you deserve before we take things to the next level—."_

 _"_ _Walter, I know exactly who you are and I love you. I know things aren't perfect, but our relationship is new." Paige moved closer and ran her hands down his chest. "No relationship is perfect at the beginning." She moved her lips across his chin and down his neck. "I don't have any doubts about taking things to the next level." Paige whispered that last part as she worked a particularly sensitive spot on his neck, desperate to convince him. The idea of waiting even another day to have this genius—her friend, her boyfriend, the man who treated her better than anyone ever had—do all of the things she had woken up from dreams at night thinking about was excruciating._

 _She was not successful. "P-Paige, I b-believe that we were, uh, d-do you m-mind if w-we continue our, uh, c-conversation?" His breath was ragged and Paige didn't need an eidetic memory to know that she had never seen Walter look so vulnerable and unsure._

 _Paige removed her lips from his face. She sat back on the couch and exhaled. "I'm sorry, Walter. If you want to wait, then I am absolutely okay with that. I promise. When you're ready, I will be too."_

 _Walter grabbed her hand and looked her in the eye. "Are you sure you're okay with this? I don't want to disappoint you."_

 _"_ _Of course not." Paige smiled. "You trusted me enough to be honest and I would never want you to do something you didn't want to."_

 _He returned her smile and released her hand as she moved to stand up. "It's getting hot in here all of a sudden. I could use some air, why don't I go get us some food from Kovelskys?"_

 _"_ _Why don't we both go to Kovelskys? I think we could both use some air."_

Paige reapplied lipstick to the lip she had been biting as she thought about that conversation and the days that followed. The day after this conversation they found out that Walter won the Karman Line Prize and that the awards ceremony and activities would be this weekend. Walter wanted to plan something special. Paige didn't really care where they went. After three months of dating, Paige was going to have her genius all to herself and she couldn't wait.

Those thoughts would have to stay under control until tomorrow, though. Today she was the girlfriend and liaison of the winner of the Karman Line Prize. One final check in the mirror and she joined her two most important people in the living room for breakfast.

~~~~~~ SCORPION ~~~~~ SCORPION ~~~~~

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES**

 **1.** **I do not own Scorpion or its characters, CBS owns Scorpion and its characters.**

 **2.** **Special Thank You to my betareader lookingforthestars. If you are a WAIGE fan do yourself a favor and check out her page.**

 **3.** **Special Thank You to all of you for being so patient and understanding.**

 **4.** **It's been a crazy week here in the US so hopefully this story will provide some momentary escape. If you're reading this from another country don't laugh. The acts of resistance have already begun and not all of us share the racist, sexist, homophobic, and xenophobic thoughts of our president (keep us in your thoughts and prayers over the next four years)**

 **5.** **Read, Review, Enjoy!**


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